There will be a good balance of experience and new tracksters on
this year’s Bradford Lady Owls’ track and field team.

This year’s team is comprised of 42 girls. The squad is made up
of four seniors, 11 juniors, 16 sophomores and 11 freshmen.

“We have a good balance of experience and new kids,” BAHS coach
Larry Stillman said. “In most of the events we have veterans and
depth. We look forward to this year and have had some very good
workouts.

“Our goals are the same as always – improve each week, stay
healthy and try to win a district title. We have been fortunate to
win the past three years and we know to do it this year will take a
great effort on all our parts.”

Our seniors are letterwomen Erin Hannon and Dana Carrico, along
with Sarah Trumbull and Alyssa Tallentire. Hannon and Carrico are
four-year letterwinners.

“Erin has shown over the past four years just how talented she
is,” Stillman said. “She holds all our jumping records and has won
14 state level medals including two gold indoor medals and four
national medals, including a national high jump title. She is ready
for her senior year and has some more goals she would like to
achieve.ð

“Dana has been working very hard this spring and we look to her
to provide leadership in our sprint group. She has run at states
the last two years in the 400 relay and we have that goal
again.

“Sarah is working hard with our distance group. She had a good
cross country season and we hope she can repeat that spring. Alyssa
is new to the team and is working to learn the pole vault.”

The juniors are led by letterwinners Megan Foster, Rachel
Garges, Katlyn Nelson and Brianna Rychcik. Foster and Nelson are
two of the team’s top throwers and “we need them to lead a very
young and talented group,” according to Stillman.

Garges and Rychcik are the team’s top returning pole
vaulters.

“They showed great promise last year and have looked good so far
in practice,” Stillman noted. “Our other juniors are vaulters
Tiffany Cline and Caitlin Persichini, throwers Olivia Brown, Nicole
Cappello, Whitney Cline, jumper Shea Miller and distance runner
Samantha Cota-Robles.

“We are really pleased with this group of young ladies and their
attitude and work habits,” the coach emphasized. “Our sophomores
are a deep and talented group. We have nine letterwinners in this
group.”

Leading the way are double district winners from last year Sarah
Lonzi and Lindsay Sherman.

Lonzi owns almost all of the school’s distance records entering
her sophomore year and was a medal winner this past winter at the
indoor state meet. She also is the two-time cross country District
9 Class AAA champion.

Sherman won the 100 and was on the 400 relay last spring.

“She has looked very strong in practice so far,” Stillman
admitted. “Tricia Copeland was also on the 400 relay last spring
and we look to her in the sprints and in the long and triple
jump.

“Chloe Nickel and Kevryn Boser return in the hurdles and both
have shown improvement on their very good rookie years. Katie White
is a very versatile runner and has the ability to run the 100
through the 3200.

“We will need her in many events. Our other sophomore
letterwinners are jumper Katie Slavinski who was second at
districts in the high jump, and throwersðEllie Imhof and Katie
Vecellio who we need to improve off their good freshman years.”

The team’s other sophomores are distance runners Paige Ambrose,
Renee Cavallaro and Leslie Shallop, throwers Carly Cuthbertson,
Chelsea Rinfrette, and Katie Zapel and jumper Ashley Kloss.ð

The Lady Owls have 11 freshmen this year – Steph Austin, Kailey
Fesenmeyer, Elizabeth Hawkins, Bobbi Hopkins, Jennifer Lau, Jennie
Mongillo, Katelyn Morris, Erica Pascarella, Theresa Skillman,
Kaitlynne Smith and Caitlin Szczupak.

“We will bring these girls along slowly and hope that they will
stay with us and help us,” Stillman said.ð

Assistanting Stillman will be Greg Ambuske, Bob Macfarlane and
Mark Kelley.

“We are working hard together to bring this team along,”
Stillman declared. “I have been telling the girls everyday – it’s
March we are working toward May. We need to work very hard and
smart and try to be at our best when the championships are run.

“We know that everyone will come after us as three-time
defending district champions but we really like this team and
believe they could be something special.”